2 Philosophy and the Young Child
It is Matthews’ thesis that philosophy is natural and enjoyable for children, but
that they are “socialized to abandon” it (1980, p. vii). Moreover, adults can and
should talk to children about “matters we ourselves find difficult or problematic“—
namely, “the naively profound questions of philosophy”—because children can
“make a useful contribution” (1984, pp. 2–3). In Philosophy and the Young Child,
Matthews points out that